


The Other Mandalorian

by Masterjedilena



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Bounty Hunting, F/M, Fighting, I like writing for Boba, Maybe - Freeform, Partners to Lovers, Tags to be added, We'll see what happens - Freeform, cons and heists, i just think he's neat, idk what this is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masterjedilena/pseuds/Masterjedilena
Summary: In the months leading up to what would become both the height and demise of his bounty hunting career, Boba Fett is in the midst of a multi-party con that introduces him to a unlikely ally....
Relationships: Boba & OC, Boba Fett/Original Character, Boba/OC
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue: What Lies Beneath

He had been walking through the sand for what felt like a lifetime, though in actuality it was probably close to only twenty minutes. The rise and fall of the dunes stretched out as far as his goggled eyes could see. His current path was only guided by distant memories and instinct; his determination carried only by hope. Hope that the answers he searched for were close, hidden just beneath the fine grains of sand he waded through.

Another twenty minutes passed, that hope now shifting to doubt. The device he clutched in his hand beeped and glitched without promise. Surely this could not be only another myth, another waste of time. The information he'd found on this planet was different than the others, the ones that had led him down fruitless paths and dead ends. This time felt different. It felt _right_. So why was he so incredibly lost out in these unforgiving waves?

A different sound came from the device, high pitched and urgent. Praise the ancestors. He halted in place, a divot between two particularly large dunes. Sand cascaded down from either side, egged on by annoying wisps of wind. He bent, pressing the device onto the tumultuous surface and flicking through its various modes of operation before settling on the one he needed. A probe, programmed to detect what he sought through any material, displaying numbers that only held meaning to those who understood such matters. The shawl around his head loosened and began to slide from the change in position. He grunted impatiently and tugged it off his with spare hand. He tossed aside the goggles as well. This work was far too important to be encumbered by fashion, even if it was only to protect from the elements.

His black curls rippled in the wind. His darkened brow creased in concentration. Eventually, finally, the device finished its job and displayed the information he needed. His heart leapt. It was only a short ways below the surface, within digging distance. He wasted no time, throwing the device with the other discarded objects, and using his gloved hands to hastily burrow into the sand. He worked quickly and strategically, trying to displace the grains faster than they could be re-filled by the ones that still drifted down the sides of the dunes. Once he had a sizable hole, he stuck a leg in, using his body to hold up one of the dunes while he continued to bore with all his might.

One of his longer fingers struck something solid. It would have been painful had he not been so excited to reach it. A few more handfuls of sand removed, and he was able to grab hold of the object and tug it out.

He lay back against the dune with a huff, holding the result of a year-long effort before him. He ran a reverent hand across its surface. A helmet, worn and faded and carrying a lifetime's worth of stories. Though it was only one story that had led him here, mysterious and unfinished. He noted streaks along one side of the helmet, of what could only be blood, and felt his stomach lurch. But he quickly calmed the impending fear of what it could mean. It was only the helmet, nothing else. No body, no remains.

He stood, looking around him and clutching that damn helmet to his chest. He was supposed to feel better at this part. Relieved and vindicated and grateful. Not as lost as he had been before. He had found the helmet, but he had not found answers.

Where was she?


	2. The Deal

~16 months earlier~

The fighting rings were exceptionally boisterous; Boba could hear the excited roaring of the crowd from a block away. He strode lazily down the alleyways toward its source, one hand wrapped around a pistol hidden beneath his tattered poncho. He was careful not to look at any of the creatures he passed the wrong way. Without any of his armor and other weapons, the last thing he needed was to draw unwanted attention to himself. Today's mission was far too important to allow for such distractions, however fun they might be.

He turned the corner, coming upon two deceptively small metal doors wedged in the side of an unassuming cliff. A pair of guards stood on either side, wearing a mishmash of clothing and weaponry. One had pieces of stormtrooper body armor on top of garments Boba knew were only made out in the Utapau system. The other had Huttese weapons strapped across a chest plate that was probably forged somewhere in the Hapes cluster. They looked ridiculous, like children playing dress-up.

Boba flashed an entrance card at them, a bit of holographic-laced metal that looked clear under normal light. One of the guards held a flashlight up to it, revealing a series of numbers. The other guard punched them into a device on his arm, which brought up a display with Boba's fake name, preferred language, and drink order.

"You are checked in, Mister Green," the guard almost choked out, clearly having difficultly with the language Boba had intentionally picked for this reason. "Enjoy the fights."

"Will do," Boba tipped an imaginary hat at them as the doors were rolled open.

The inside of the cavern was much, much larger than one might have guessed from the outside. It stretched both high and low, with wide staircases and meandering hallways seemingly carved into the walls. Some connected the various balconies where wealthier fans of the sport were waited upon, while others led deeper into the cave, out of sight to rooms Boba itched to get into. But he steeled himself, knowing patience would be the key to this mission.

Boba descended down the main staircase, the cacophony of chattering, cheering, and fighting almost swallowing his own inner thoughts. He glanced at the watch on his wrist, a primitive device compared to the readouts in his helmet. 17:06. Only 24 minutes before the others were in position. He could work with that.

Weaving through the crowd, he made his way to the bar, where a droid scanned his holo-card and then promptly slid over a prepared drink, a glittery, purple concoction that smelled like licorice. Boba had had his fair share of run-ins with laced drinks, so even though he doubted his host would have any reason to suspect foul play in this deal, he still didn't want to take any chances. He held the drink up in a sort of salute to the droid, taking a measured step backward just as a large, Chagrian gentleman walked by. The collision wasn't too dramatic, but forceful enough for Boba to send the contents of his glass splashing out and onto the ground.

He professed a few apologies to the Chagrian before handing the glass back to the droid with a sheepish smile. He then watched as a new drink was prepared, satisfied to not see any shenanigans with it.

"Mr. Green!" a hearty voice reached his ears just as he was served the new drink. He looked up to the balcony just above the bar to see a well-dressed man, human, leaning against the railing with a drink of his own. His host. Lee Hun. Boba gave a little wave and slipped through the crowd, eventually getting up the stairs and over to the man.

"I was worried you'd had a change of heart," Lee said, looking out at the mass of creatures enjoying themselves in his establishment. Off the in the distance, surrounded by a particularly thick throng of people, were the pillars of the fighting rings themselves.

"Late start," Boba explained through sips of his drink. "Damn Imperials got in the way. Couldn't get off the ground for a while."

His host chuckled. "All the more reason to disappear out here. Empire wants nothing to do with this wasteland. Drained resources, earthquakes, the seasonal meteor showers..." He turned to finally face Boba, a devilish grin flashing. "The perfect oasis."

Boba wasn't phased by the man's crazed nature. He'd definitely seen crazier.

Lee pushed off the railing, motioning for Boba to follow him as he sauntered down the hallway, around the cavern, and closer to the fights. He spoke over his shoulder, occasionally stopping to let some drunken creature stumble by.

"But don't you worry, we have ways of surviving out here, Mr. Green. If that is really your name. If I was a betting man, I'd say you've been trying to disappear on your own already."

"It was the only way I could make it out here," Boba replied, having to almost shout as they drew nearer to the fighting.

"I enjoy a good story. I do hope you'll indulge me one day."

They approached a nook in the cavern wall, a booth wrapping around its interior and a small table situated in the middle. Guards stood on either side, similar to the ones at the front doors, nodding at Lee as he sprawled onto the seat. He gestured for Boba to join him on the other side of the table. It was just a little quieter in here, enough for Boba not to have to strain to hear Lee's soft tone of voice.

"But I also understand time is of the essence in these sort of situations. So we can focus on the business and leave story time for later."

"I appreciate it." Boba reached beneath his parka and pulled out two objects, a small coin purse - though the sum inside could hardly be called small - and an envelope. He set the items down between them, catching a glimpse of his wristwatch as he did. 11 minutes.

"The down payment and all identifying papers I could find. As you requested."

Lee took a long, measured look at Boba, making him suddenly feel anxious. He'd been collected thus far, excited even, and had no worries about this mission going sideways. Lee had a reputation, but not one that was cause for concern. At least, none of them had thought so, and certainly not Boba. He was the one who'd come up with the con in the first place.

But now that he was sitting across from the man, looking him in the eyes, seeing a cunning smile play about his lips, the smallest twinge of doubt started growing in his gut. Maybe this wouldn't be as easy as he thought.

Lee extended a hand toward the envelope, but did not raise himself up to grab hold of it. Instead, the envelope itself moved straight into Lee's hand, a swift but gentle motion, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The knot in Boba's stomach twisted and it took all his willpower to keep his composure.

"As I'm sure you know, my services are quite reputable and I don't help just any old schmuck looking to disappear," Lee said, the softness in his voice vanishing. "I need to know you will treat this deal as seriously as I do."

It was a power play. Boba had seen this kind of... wizardry before. A long, long time ago. But he wasn't supposed to be Boba Fett, a relic of an age where lightsabers and the Force were common knowledge. Not right now. No, he was Mr. Green, a clumsy little nobody who'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time and now needed help creating a new life. Mr. Green wouldn't understand the things Lee Hun was doing with his hands. So Boba pushed down the sudden resurgence of his unresolved childhood trauma and put on a show.

"Uh, what the hell is this?" he asked, shifting in his seat. "Some kind of magic trick?"

Lee only smiled.

"Hey, look, I didn't come all this way just to be played with, okay." Boba raised his hands defensively. "I will pay whatever price and do whatever you need of me, but only if you deliver on your promises too. I'm not desperate enough to get taken advantage of myself."

Lee ran his fingers along the edges of the envelope. "Insurance," he said with a wry smirk. "From this point on, whether you take my deal or not, you are beholden to what I say. Feel free to betray me to the Empire or my rivals, but know that no bounty will be worth the hell I can unleash on your life with this information in the meantime."

He waived the envelope to emphasize the point. Boba glanced at his watch again. 6 minutes. An idea suddenly occurred to him. His team would be wildly upset if he mixed things up at the last minute, but they weren't here. It was his call to make. He hadn't expected this ability from a man like Lee, and a part of him was still a little leery of it, but it also presented an opportunity to cut out a rather complicated part of the plan later on. Boba brought his hands down to rest on the table, his mind made up.

"That information is not as damning as you might think," said Boba, showing off a smirk of his own. The Mr. Green character was now a little smarter. "As I said, I have not reached the point of total desperation, so I'm able to afford some precautions of my own. I would never entrust a stranger with my life, even if it's one I wish to erase."

Lee didn't seem concerned. He casually thumbed open the flap, peering at the edges of the folded up documents inside, as if he could see through them all to understand their contents.

"I thought I'd give you one aspect of my life to start with. My finances. Since you'll be taking the rest of my money eventually, anyway." Boba lifted up the coin purse and tossed it closer to the man. "Once you've proven yourself with that, then I'll start the investments into your fighting rings and give you more and more of my life until you finally take care of it all."

Lee cocked his head, still unconcerned with the change in Mr. Green's demeanor. "That's not how I do business."

"Then I'll leave. There are others like you. Perhaps not as _reputable_ , as you say, but decent enough for what I need. "

"You'll have no way of paying them," said Lee, waving the envelope again.

"I have knowledge of your... magic, or whatever. If that's your insurance, must be worth something."

There was a long, tense moment of silence between them. The sounds of the cavern came rumbling in, as if they'd been held at bay during the conversation and were finally let loose. Whatever fight was happening below must be real entertaining, Boba thought. Lee looked over toward the source of the commotion briefly, his eyes squinting in thought. He then turned back to Boba and let out a defeated chuckle.

"Very well, Mr. Green. You've called my bluff." Lee shoved a hand in his front coat pocket and pulled out a cigar. "Tell you what, though. Why don't I work on earning your trust right now. Within the next hour, I can have your finances completely disconnected from your former life and redistributed to new and untraceable accounts. And in that time, you can pick out the fighter you'd like to sponsor with those accounts."

Lee lit the cigar and stood, extending a hand with a surprisingly warm smile. If the man was sour over the way this deal had gone, he didn't show it. Boba wiggled out of the booth and took hold of his hand firmly.

"Deal."


	3. The Girl

Boba skipped down the stairs and into the throng of creatures surrounding the fighting match. He held his watch up to his mouth, trying to relay as much of a message to his team as he could amidst the noise.

 _Fang_ , _you can kill me later for this, but change of plan. Get Bossk to hold on the extraction and tell Rhea she needs to get her droids in position. We need to do the transfer now._

There was a garbled response, probably something negative, Boba couldn't really hear. So he only repeated himself.

_The transfer needs to happen now. We have five minutes, maybe ten tops. Or this mission's a bust._

Lee had excused himself, taking the envelope with Boba's fake financial information to a room in the back for processing. Boba was told to get a closer look at the match, to pick out a fighter to sponsor as part of the deal. He'd have to play along and hope his team would do as they were told. If they were half as good as they insisted, the transfer would be seamless. It was just down to timing now.

Boba squeezed himself through the throng, coming up to the railing of the pit. About a dozen pairs of fighters were moving about, locked in various forms of combat. Some had weapons, most had to use their arms, tentacles, and other limbs to keep alive. A Gammorrean was struck down with a shriek just in front of him. The victor, a burly Houk, roared over the slain body, causing the din of cheering to increase. He was clearly the crowd favorite.

The fighting continued, Boba only partially paying attention. He kept one eye on the part of the balcony he'd come from, waiting for Lee to return. Occasionally he'd repeat his message into his watch, still unable to get any clear responses back from his team. He hated being so helpless, unable to do anything more for the mission himself. He had been on his own for some time, it was frustrating to have to depend on others and trust not only their abilities, but also their willingness. What if they decided the risk wasn't worth it? What if they'd all agreed to betray him?

Most of the fighters were down for the count, either killed or carted off with incapacitating wounds. Only two now remained, and the crowd was going wild. The Houk and what appeared to be a small-framed human girl, wearing nothing but a tank top, some loose slacks, and a damaged pilot's helmet. She had cuts all along her arms and face, and her braided hair was coming undone around the lip of the helmet. She breathed heavily, but kept a steady gaze on her remaining opponent.

The Houk roared again, the sound reverberating around the cave with an almost deafening intensity. Boba frowned at the harshness of it, an inconvenience to his brooding. He still wasn't really interested in what was happening in the pit; it wouldn't matter which fighter he picked in the end. This Houk was probably the one being sponsored by Lee, a "prized and treasured" fighter the man was clearly proud of. So Boba would just pick someone else at random, or ask Lee for a recommendation. It was by no means an important part of the plan.

The fighting commenced between the two, the crowd chanting whatever the name was of their chosen victor. The creature was much larger than the girl, albeit slower. She used speed to her advantage, flitting around his beefy frame, though to only to keep herself from getting hit by his powerful swings. The few punches and kicks she tried landing herself did nothing.

Boba's wristwatch started beeping and flashing, an invitation to open up a holographic comm-link from his team. He was deep under cover and they wanted to talk through a hologram. Unbelievable. He cursed and declined the message, only to then second-guess himself. Maybe they weren't complete morons. Maybe something serious had happened and they were trying to warn him.

Movement from the balcony drew his attention away from his watch; Lee had returned. He casually leaned his forearms against the railing, scanning the crowd and coming to rest on Boba with a grin. Boba gave a nod in return, unsure how he could check in with his team without his host getting suspicious.

Another roar came form the Houk fighter as he raised a spear above the girl, who had apparently fallen at some point. He brought the point down swiftly, but the only damage it did was tear through the side of the girl's pant leg. As the Houk growled in frustration, trying to tug the spear back out of the ground, the girl wiggled out of the pants and scurried off a few feet. Boba rolled his eyes at the lewdness of it. These backwater fighters....

He glanced up at Lee again, noting the man had turned slightly to speak to one of the guards. There it was. His chance to get away. He could hide in some corner, speak to his team, and then return to the balcony with a story for Lee about getting lost on the way to the refresher.

Boba turned, ready to slip out of sight, and then stopped.

The girl in the pit was running toward the Houk, who had finally given up on moving the spear and had taken a few steps back. But it wasn't her movements that had caught Boba eye. It was her tattoo, taking up the entire span of her left thigh. She grabbed the upright spear and hurled herself around it, the tattoo coming to eye level as her leg swung through the air.

The mythosaur. The symbol of Mandalore.

The girl's bare feet struck the Houk just below his chest plate. He did not fall but stumbled from the impact. She did not hesitate to continue striking the stunned warrior, carefully aiming her blows to the more sensitive parts of the creature's body. He doubled in pain with a low growl.

Boba watched, gaze dancing between her fighting and her tattoo. He was frozen to the spot, confused and captivated, no longer concerned with his mission or the team who was trying to reach him. He had not seen that symbol in a long time, other than on his own armor. There were very few Mandalorians left these days, and none he had ever personally come across. Who was this one, and what was she doing here?

The girl made one last calculated kick toward the groin area of the Houk; it was her last because it didn't work. The creature grabbed her ankle before it could make impact, and yanked her legs out from under her. He slid his thick arms around her and lifted her with ease, wrapping his hands around her neck in a chokehold. Her feet lashed about frantically as she gasped for air, and the crowd's noises died down significantly. It seemed their loyalties had switched. There were now random shouts and _boo-_ ing, but most held a baited breath, waiting to see what would happen.

Boba had half a mind to jump in there himself. He knew these fighters were culled from the slave trade, and their lives weren't much better than had they been forced into manual labor for the Empire, or prostitution for the gangs. This girl, this Mandalorian, would need to be freed. That much he was certain about.

But while he debated how, exactly, to accomplish this new mission of his, the girl started taking care of herself. She reached up to grip the sides of the Houk's plump head and curled herself inward and upward, enough to get momentum behind her legs as she brought them forcefully back down. The motion was strong enough to loosen the grip from her neck, the Houk's hands sliding up to rest more on her helmet. It only took a bit more kicking and writhing for her to then slip out of the helmet and run away.

She staggered across the little arena, coughing and wheezing as she did. The Houk tossed aside the helmet and let out another roar, beating his chest plate. The girl knelt in the corner, trying to will her breathe and strength to come back. Boba gripped the railing in front of him, just as confused as ever. At a glance she seemed beat, and even the Houk believed he was on his way to victory, already trying to rile the crowd back up to cheer for him. But Boba was zeroed in on her face and saw the crazed glint in her eye and the smug twitch of her lips. She knew what she was doing.

The Houk set off in a lumbering jog toward her. Just as he passed the spear in the middle of the pit, the girl made her move. In one swift turn, she reached through the railing and grabbed at a gun hanging from the hip of a spectator. A grappling gun. She stood with legs spread confidently apart at the oncoming fighter and shot the hook straight at him. It zipped through the beast's stomach. She grabbed at the cord and yanked on it, causing the hook to latch onto its back and send the Houk sprawling. It groaned but did not move.

She had won in the eyes of the crowd. Their hoops and hollers were somehow even more enthusiastic than when they'd been cheering for earlier fights. A creature next to Boba almost sloshed his drink on him as he jumped up and down in celebration.

But the girl was not done. She strode over to the fallen fighter, a dangerous swagger in her underwear-clad hips. She placed one foot on either side of the half-conscious body, crouched, and delivered a final punch to its face. She stood and grinned, turning to look up at a figure in the balcony. Lee. He was wearing the same grin. Boba realized with a sinking feeling she was the prized and treasured fighter Lee had boasted of.

That would certainly complicate his plan to free her.


End file.
